The Heart of the Matter
by Kizabeth
Summary: A pre-spoiler fan fiction set after the end of season five, revolving around the return of Booth and Brennan from their respective ends of the world.
1. Late

_A/N: This was originally written pre-spoilers and I considered changing 'Jenny' to 'Hannah' - but that would provide spoilers, which I attempt to avoid (at least in my writing). Some chapters might be short, but I wrote this a few months ago, and since then, chapter length has increased. Please Enjoy :D_

**Chapter 1... 'Late'**

It had been 364 days since she had last seen him. _Tomorrow._ She thought to herself. _You'll see him tomorrow, and everything will be as it was a year ago, the only thing that will be different is that you know you belong with him._

"Brennan?"

Brennan came to. She'd once again fallen asleep at her desk.

"Brennan, it's after 8. You should go home!"

Angela made her way into Brennan's office and ushered her out. After arriving back in the States, all Brennan wanted to do before seeing Booth was to throw herself into her work, concentrate on another passion of hers.

"Sweetie, he'll be back when he's back. You can't change that. But you need to look after yourself, and you can't do that by staying at the lab." Brennan just gave her a disapproving look. "Bren, you got off that plane at six this morning. You haven't eaten, or been home and changed, or showered..."

At that moment, Brennan cut in. "I showered in the decontamination shower."

Angela just stared back at Brennan, shaking her head. "Don't you want to look good for him for your date tomorrow?"

"It's not a date, Ange, it's a meeting."

"It's a prearranged gathering by two partners who are secretly in love with each other. Bren, if that's not a date, then I don't know what one is!"

Angela sat down on the couch, and Brennan slumped down next to her.

"He's probably met someone over there. They're probably madly in love, engaged or even married by now!"

Angela looked disapprovingly at Brennan, showing her dislike to that comment.

"So what if he did? The moment he sees you, he'll forget this chick and run straight into your arms. You'll kiss passionately, entangling yourselves, the way you've always dreamed. Everything will be perfect. And then you'll get married and have kids and..."

"You know I don't believe in marriage, Angela!"

"Not even to Booth? If I were you, I'd do everything in my power to stop him from possibly looking at any other woman in a slightly sexual way!"

"But I'm not you. I'm Me, Dr Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian."

"No, sweetie, you're Dr Temperance Brennan, the love of Booth's life!"

Brennan playfully slaps Angela, and succumbs to the idea of going home to sleep.

The night was restless for Brennan. All her dreams either ended with her and Booth being happy, or her being completely devastated by Booth. In her stomach, she knew something was not right, but ignored it, thinking _it's just because we've been apart for so long_. This thought reassured her, and as soon as day broke, Brennan knew that the day was going to be perfect.

Booth's plane was getting in at 10, and they were meeting at 6pm, shortly before the sun was due to set, at the reflecting pool. Angela had offered Brennan a lift, but she gracefully refused, clearly stating "I'm an adult, I can look after myself, and if I need help, Booth will be there to provide it, as always!" Brennan spent the most part of the day fussing over what to wear, changing her outfit several times before settling on a nice, sensible, casual dress and heels.

Brennan sat by the coffee cart, clutching a throw away cup, waiting anxiously for Booth to arrive. _He'll appear in the distance, and come rushing towards me. He's just running late... that's it, late._ It was 6:15 already, and Booth was still not there. It was starting to get cold, and as she started to shiver, Brennan went over the scenario again in her head, how it would play out.

'_Booth, there's something I need to tell you. I knew the moment that I stepped onto that plane to go to Indonesia that I'd made the wrong choice. I shouldn't have let you leave, I shouldn't have let you let me go. We belong together and I know that now. I care for you, Booth, in a way I've never cared about anyone before. It's not love, not yet, but I know that someday, it will be love. I need you in my life Booth. I need you to catch me when I fall, like you promised me.'_ The silence would ensue, followed by Booth pulling her in for a tender kiss.' _I love you, Bones. I will never let you fall... never.'_

Brennan was so lost in her fantasy that she didn't realise the time. It was almost 7, and the sun was long gone. Brennan's heart sank as she realised Booth wasn't coming to rescue her. He'd broken his promise.

Brennan reached for her phone. She searched through the numbers, cautiously deciding which one to call.

"Can you come and pick me up, Angela. I'm at the Reflecting Pool. Please hurry!" The last words were almost a whisper as the despair of being left alone dawned on her. She collapsed into a fit of tears on the bench.

When Angela saw Brennan curled up on the park bench, she asked no questions.

"Come on sweetie, let's get you home" said Angela as she helped Brennan up and drove her home.


	2. Devastation

**Chapter 2... 'Devastation'**

"Just lay down on the couch, Brennan" said Angela as she pushed the door to Brennan's apartment open. Angela rushed into the kitchen and boiled the kettle. She grabbed two pillows from Brennan's bed and handed them to Brennan, who was now curled up on the couch. Angela had been through this many times herself. She handed Brennan a cup of freshly brewed tea, threw a blanket over her and took a seat on a couch opposite her.

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetie, so whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here."

Brennan hugged the pillows, tears streaming down her face. She said nothing, just lay there, rocking slightly.

Angela knew what had happened. Not in the sense of actually knowing, but she had a pretty good idea. Booth hadn't shown up, or if he did, he had that 'special someone' in his tow. She knew not to say anything, as it would probably just upset Brennan more, and make her shut down completely.

"I just have to call Jack, sweetie. I'll be in the other room." Brennan nodded, and Angela made her way into the bedroom, half closing the door behind her.

"_She's almost catatonic, Jack. I've never seen her like this before. I'm gonna stay here with her. I don't want her to be alone, and I don't want her doing anything she'll regret"_ Angela listened for a moment. _"I love you too. Just, whatever you do, don't tell Booth. Don't even try to get in contact with him. Just find out if he did actually arrive, but that's all."_

Brennan had heard all of Angela's side of the conversation, and as Angela emerged from the bedroom, she rolled over and sat up.

"You don't really think his flight was delayed, do you?" quizzed Brennan as Angela joined her. Angela sat on the couch in silence, knowing that any answer would result in more tears flowing down Brennan's face.

"Sweetie, just try to get some rest" assured Angela, as she placed the blanket over Brennan.

It was a long night at Brennan's apartment. Angela didn't sleep, and Brennan, when she slept, always woke in fits of screaming. Angela decided the best thing to do was to confront Booth herself, but knew Brennan would protest. _If he had something to say about the matter, he should say it to me, not to you._ That would be Brennan's argument, followed by an anthropological reason why Angela was acting the way she was about the matter.

"I think I'd like to go to work," requested Brennan, as Angela brought her another cup of hot tea.

"Are you sure, sweetie? Work might not be the best thing for you right now."

"If I stay here, I'll think about Booth. If I go to work, I'll remain distracted for hours, and maybe then I'll be ready to talk."

Angela nodded approvingly, and helped Brennan get ready for work.

The lab was empty. There were only a few security guards around, but other than that, no one else had arrived at work. Brennan unlocked her office. As she took the first step in, she stopped. Feelings and thoughts clouded her head. Memories of times and moments shared with Booth filled her mind. '_I will never make you fall...'_ The words played over in her head, and Brennan collapsed under the weight of all of the broken promises.

Angela rushed into Brennan's office in time to catch her.

"He lied!" was all that Brennan could say, as she sank her head deep into her hands as the tears flowed. Angela walked out of the office and called Hodgins.

"_Did he arrive safely?"... "She needs to know that he did, Jack, she's falling apart without him."_

Brennan once again heard the conversation, and when Angela walked back into her office, she commented "You're a lousy whisperer."

Angela sat Brennan down on the couch and held her hand.

"He'll come for you... He..." Angela couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Can I just be alone for a little while?" asked Brennan, and Angela kissed her on the forehead and gracefully walked out.

Brennan immersed herself in her work. Down in Limbo, she pulled out another box of bones and began laying them out on the cold, steel bench. She did this for hours, identifying three soldiers from various wars, as well as missing loved ones that were involved in cold cases.

Brennan was exhausted, but she forced herself to work, and brought down another box.

"Bones!"


	3. Collapse

**Chapter 3... 'Collapse'**

"_Bones!"_

Her heart jumped. _If I turn around, will he still be there?_

She turned as quickly as she could, so that he never had a chance to walk away again. Standing there, in front of her, was Booth, neatly dressed in a suit, as though he were ready for work, as though nothing had happened or changed.

She couldn't comprehend her feelings. _I should be mad at him, but I... Why aren't I mad at him?_ She wanted to throw herself at him, but instead just stood there, confused.

"Bones? ... Say something, Bones."

Again, she stood there, stunned.

"I'm sorry... I.. It's just... Something came up, Bones. I'm sorry."

Brennan held back the tears, turning and facing the bones on the table in front of her. Booth approached her cautiously, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't" she protested, pulling her shoulder out from under his clasp.

"Are you mad at me?"

Brennan just stared down at the bones, and as she picked one of them up, a single tear trickled down her face. Before she could say anything, Angela rushed in. She threw a scornful look towards Booth as she made her way to Brennan.

"Are you okay, Sweetie?" she asked, as she looked back over her shoulder to Booth, once again giving him a dirty look.

"I'm fine, Angela. Can you just give us a minute? Please?" Angela quickly left. She knew something, and was not letting on.

"What were you about to say, Booth?"

Booth plucked up the courage, and looked Brennan straight in the eyes. "I did as I promised, Bones. I was careful in Afghanistan, I wasn't a hero. But I also did something else I said I would..."

Brennan knew what was coming next.

"Her name's Jennifer, Bones. She's a journalist from New York. I mo..."

Brennan saw Booth's lips move, heard the words, but could not accept it. _I moved on..._ The words played in her mind over and over again.

"I'm sorry, Bones. I wanted to tell you sooner, I just didn't know how to" he said, the desperation screaming out.

Brennan stood there, shocked, unable to breathe, unable to move. She took a tight grip on the table. The pain in her heart was overwhelming, and she tried with all her might to hold it in. She held her head, trying to make the pain go away.

"Not now Booth, please."

"I want you to meet her, Bones. Jennifer!" he called.

As soon as Jennifer stepped into the room, the pain in Brennan's heart and head took over, and without warning, Brennan collapsed onto the floor, pulling the table with the bones on it down with her.

Booth rushed to her side, quickly followed by Angela.

"You get away from her!" she yelled at Booth, as she lifted Brennan's head up onto her lap. Hodgins and Cam, who were now at work, rushed in, and forced Booth away from Brennan.

* * *

Brennan came to in her office about half an hour later. Angela hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Brennan. I wanted to tell you, but it was for him to do."

"Where is he?" asked Brennan, sitting up.

"It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that you're alright."

Brennan continued to look around for Booth, wanting to say something to him, anything. Suddenly, the pain began to emerge again, and Brennan clasped her chest. She slipped out of consciousness as she tried to stop the tears from flowing.

"Angela" called Cam.

Angela lay Brennan back down on the couch and walked into the main part of the lab.

"He wants to see her, Angela. What do we do?"

Angela pretended to roll up her sleeves, even though she was wearing a singlet.

"I know what I'm going to do..." and she marched over to Booth.

"You son of a bitch, Booth!" exclaimed Angela as she slapped him on the cheek. "You leave her there, on her own, with false hope, then you show up, reveal the truth and to make matters worse, you bring that little skank along with you!"

Booth took a step back, knowing he wasn't going to get out of this easily.

"Do you have ANY idea what she went through last night? Do you? I found her lying on a park bench, curled up, crying. I sat with her the whole night, watching the tears flow down her cheeks, drenching her pillow. I caught her when she fell this morning when she stepped into her office! The only thing she could say to me when I caught her was 'He Lied!'"

Angela took a deep breath before continuing. "I don't think there's anything that can be done to help her anymore. And it's not my place to tell you why all of this happened. So you better think of a way to make things right between you two before _I_ lose her forever!"

Angela slapped him again. She dragged him to her office. "You know that I think that you two belong together, so don't go flaunting your Afghan Skank around this lab anymore, Booth, or next time, you won't be so lucky to get away with a slap!" She gave him a death stare. "Now get the hell out of this lab, Booth!" shouted Angela as she tossed him out of her office.

Booth stood there in the middle of the lab, with every squint staring at him scornfully. _What have I done?_ He asked himself, realising what he'd done to his partnership with Brennan. He ran his hand through his hair, and didn't even think twice about the slap that he deserved so much.

Booth quickly made his way out of the lab, heading straight for his car.

"Seeley!"

Booth turned around; expecting to see Cam, or even Bones, but it was Jennifer who was hot on his heels.

"Are you alright?"

He didn't know what to say. Was his affection for Jennifer so great that it meant more than his partnership with Brennan?

Jennifer hugged him tightly, and Booth hesitated for quite some time, before raising his arms to hug her back.

"I'm fine, Jennifer," he said softly.

"But that woman, she slapped you, are you sure you're okay?"

"Jenny, I... I deserved it, and a whole lot more. I told you when we first started going out, about how complicated everything was between Brennan and me..."

Jennifer reached up and kissed Booth on the lips, but he did not return the kiss. When she pulled away, Jennifer looked confused.

"I have to make this right, Jenny. I couldn't live with myself, knowing that I'd hurt Bones the way that I have..." and he walked away.


	4. Redemption

**Chapter 4... 'Redemption'**

Booth was pacing outside Brennan's apartment. He was mulling over what to say, while trying to gain the courage to knock on her door.

_What do I say to her? 'Sorry I did what I said'? 'Sorry that I moved on...'_ There were those three words again. As soon as he relayed them in his head, Booth knew that that's where it all went wrong. He continued to pace, still unsure what to do.

Brennan, who was in her apartment, could hear Booth shuffling around outside her door. She even heard him mumble some things, like _'Why did I say that?'_ Brennan leaned against the door and listened more intently. Her heart wanted her to wrench the door open and hug Booth, but her head argued that it was completely illogical.

She peeped through the looking hole this time. She saw Booth raise his hand to the door, and she let slip a not so quiet "just do it". The next second, Booth's hand knocked ever so gently on the door.

Brennan composed herself. _Just stay calm... you're doing fine right now, and Angela isn't even helping you..._ Her hand slowly turned the doorknob, and she pulled back the door.

Booth let out a heartfelt "Hi". Brennan motioned for him to come in, and as soon as she closed the door and turned to Booth, she felt numb. She stared in his eyes, which were full of remorse.

"I'm sorry, Bones. I didn't... I didn't know."

Brennan looked at him, slightly confused by his last comment. _Did Angela tell him how I felt?_ The thought sent a chill through her, and she promptly took a seat on the couch before she had the chance to collapse again.

"Know... know what?"

Booth couldn't bring himself to look her in the face, instead kept his eyes down, and face turned away slightly.

"I didn't know you'd react the way you did."

Brennan let out a quick sigh of relief, and Booth realised that there was something more to the story. But instead of saying something he just sat there in silence.

Finally, Brennan broke the silence. "Why didn't you show last night, like we agreed?"

Booth thought for a moment about the day before. His plane arrived on time, and he got off with Jennifer. She knew of his meeting with Brennan, and insisted that she not go with him, for the sake of his partnership with her. Then it was a blur.

"I... I don't know. I wanted to go, in fact I'd planned to go."  
"Was it Jennifer?" These words pierced Booth's heart, and he now knew for sure that Brennan was jealous of, or at the least, disliked Jennifer.

"No, it wasn't. Bo... Brennan, you have to understand, I've told her almost everything about us. I didn't want any secrets, seeing as how when we both left, everything was still unfinished and completely complicated..."

Brennan cut him off. "Does she know that I wanted you to father my child? Or that you wanted to give it a shot between us?"

"I said almost everything... Bones" He was hesitant to call her Bones, as it was something special they shared as partners, and now that was on the rocks. "I..." Booth pulled himself closer to Brennan, holding her hands in his. "I never wanted to hurt you, and if I'd known how you would react to all of this, I would never have..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. "I don't know why I didn't meet you at the Reflecting Pool... I guess after not seeing you for so long... I... just..."

"It's okay, Booth. I understand" said Brennan, a smile forming for the first time in two days.

They sat there silently for a while, Booth still holding Brennan's hands. She'd forgotten how healing his touch could be. Before she realised it, Brennan had pulled herself closer to Booth, and now rested her head on his shoulder. He didn't flinch, or move or object. It was perfect, just how Brennan wanted it to be, except she knew it wasn't reality, it was just a 'partner' moment.

Again, Brennan was the first to break the silence. She sat up and looked at Booth. "How did you two meet?" She was putting on a brave face, knowing that the least she could do was _try_ to be supportive. She was, after all, the one that said she needed time and space. That's why she had left, that's why she'd gone to Maluku. Not because of an amazing anthropological study, but to clear her mind, to help her put her life in perspective so she could figure out what, or who, she really wanted.

Booth thought carefully about how to answer the question in a way that wouldn't upset Brennan, even though he knew she was ready to hear it.

"We met in Afghanistan. Jennifer's a reporter, and she was interviewing some of the troops on the benefits of training with experienced soldiers. She interviewed some of my men, who told her endless stories about me and my past work as a sniper, and how they thought I was a god compared to the other soldiers. Jennifer finally interviewed me, even though she wasn't meant to, but she felt like she needed to know the truth. I answered all of her questions, most of which were about my work with you. She was eager to meet you, Bones. Like I said, I told her almost everything."

Brennan winced as she forced out the next question. "What didn't you tell her?"

Again, Booth thought carefully about what he left out.

"The part about the child you wanted me to father. I didn't tell her about the dream I had in my coma, and how happy that made me feel. It was the more personal things I didn't tell her about, Bones. There are moments that you and I have shared over the years that belong to us, Bones, and no one else needs to know about them."

Brennan smiled, knowing that their partnership was still intact.


	5. Discussions

**Chapter 5... 'Discussions'**

Brennan wasn't back at work until a few days later. Thankfully, Angela had let her be, so she could sort things out. When Brennan walked into the lab that Wednesday morning, Angela let out a scream.

"Brennan!" she cried as she rushed towards Brennan.

Angela, Cam and Hodgins were all relieved to see that Brennan was alright. Almost immediately, Angela led Brennan into her office to spill the beans.

"What happened? When I left you, you were a complete mess" exclaimed Angela.

"We talked" stated Brennan.

"On the phone?"

"No, he came over to apologise. I watched him as he hesitated to knock on my door. But when he finally did, I let him in."

"How did you feel?"

Brennan thought about how she felt when she opened the door to Booth. "Numb..." Brennan hesitated before continuing. "There's still something missing, between Booth and me, I mean. We're not back to the way we used to be, not yet."

Angela was shocked by what Brennan was telling her. "Did... did you tell him how you feel?"

Brennan sat in quiet contemplation, before finally shaking her head at Angela's question.

"Sweetie," said Angela, holding Brennan's hand. "He has to know... You have to tell him..."

"He's happy, Ange, for the first time in a long time, he's genuinely happy, and it's not because of me."

"And you're okay with this? With him being with someone else, I mean?"

"For now," said Brennan, and she got up and walked out.

Angela couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Could Brennan really accept Booth being with someone else?

* * *

There was tension at lunch that day. Brennan had agreed to have lunch with Booth and Jennifer at the diner. Booth was adamant that the diner was still 'their place', but informed Brennan that she needn't be more uncomfortable by eating somewhere different.

"You two seem happy together," said Brennan as they finished their meal.

"We are" chimed Jennifer, clutching Booth's upper right arm.

The sight made Brennan feel uneasy, but when she saw Booth's half 'fake-smile', she felt much better. It was the familiar smile that Booth had made many times before, in uncomfortable situations and particularly when he had to meet her own dates.

As they stepped outside of the diner, Brennan pulled Booth to the side.

"I think... you two will be happy together."

Booth, who was still excellent at reading people, read Brennan like a children's book. He sensed her reserve, like she wanted to add something.

"Thanks, Bones" he said, and gave her a hug. Then he and Jennifer walked off to Booth's car, leaving Brennan with the alone and empty feeling she knew all too well.

Brennan came back from lunch quite saddened. She was happy for Booth, truly happy for him. But the most part of her wished it was she who was with him, not Jennifer.

When Brennan stepped into the lab, Cam immediately knew that something was wrong.

"Dr Brennan" she began. "If you need some time off to sort things out, I'm happy to give it to you."

Brennan looked at her, a blank expression covering her face. "I just took a year off, Cam; I don't think I need to take any more time."

* * *

The next few days grew even more awkward. Brennan and Booth started on their first case together since coming back. At one point during their time at the crime scene, the worst thing happened, and the topic of conversation turned to Jennifer.

"She's thinking of transferring to DC" said Booth.

To Brennan, no news could possibly be worse than this, yet she sensed a twinge in Booth's voice as he said it.

"Is everything alright between you two?" pried Brennan.

Booth tried to conceal it, but Brennan knew better. How could he tell her that he wished it was different, that he wished that the two of them together? Booth knew he'd put Brennan through a lot over the years, but he couldn't bring himself to admit his feelings, not here, not now.

"Booth, we're partners. You can tell me anything!"

Booth was hesitant. "Not here. I'd rather discuss it when there's less of an audience. Why don't we meet somewhere a little more private?"

Brennan agreed. "You'll show up this time, won't you?" she mocked, and in that moment, when they both laughed, everything felt normal between them, even if it was just for a second.

They'd agreed to meet at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, a place where Booth had always told the truth, no matter how rude or hurtful it was. Brennan smiled when she saw Booth waiting there. It was night time, and it was nice and private.

The silence was deafening, as they both sat there staring out at the Reflecting Pool for quite some time.

"Jennifer knows nearly everything about us, Bones."

There it was. He'd repeated that sentence to her several times over the last few days, and he said it nearly every time they met up. There was something reassuring about it.

"I know" she replied, as Brennan anxiously waited for what was going to come next.

Again they sat in silence, this time only for a few minutes.

"I never told her how I really felt about you, and I probably never will..."

Brennan's heart sank. Was this a good thing, or a bad thing? Did he not tell Jennifer because he was so madly in love with Brennan, or was it because he knew Jennifer would never let him move on from Brennan if she knew the truth?

Brennan couldn't help herself. "How _do_ you feel about me?"

Booth leaned back and sighed. It was the one thing he'd never said to Brennan, not to her face anyway. He stumbled over his words as he tried to think of a way to explain it.

"Imagine, Bones; that you're madly in love with me."

Brennan nodded.

"And pretend that I was completely off limits, and there is nothing you can do to win me over..."

Brennan cut him off. She couldn't stop herself. "I don't have to..."


	6. Passion

**Chapter 6... 'Passion'**

"_I don't have to..."_

The words were still ringing in Booth's mind.

"What?" he asked, focussing all of his attention on what she would say next.

"I don't have to pretend, Booth..."

He was waiting for her to say something like_ 'because I know how you felt about me and how mad it drove you'_.

"You mean...?"

Brennan gently nodded. She laughed a bit to herself.

"This is so silly..." she began. "I had this all planned out in my mind for when we were going to meet up after we got back. And now that I've got a chance to say it, I don't know where to begin."

Booth took hold of Brennan's hand. "Just start from the beginning" he whispered in her ear.

Brennan thought about her mumbling speech from the week before.

"Booth, I have to tell you this, before it's too late_. _I knew the moment that I stepped onto that plane to go to Indonesia that I'd made the wrong choice. I shouldn't have let you leave; I shouldn't have let you let me go. We belong together and I know that now." She was hesitant to continue, but Booth reassured her. "I care for you, Booth, in a way I've never cared about anyone before. It's not love, not yet, but I know that someday, it will be love. I need you in my life Booth. I need you to catch me when I fall, like you promised me."

Booth didn't know what to say. '_She loves me'_ were his only thoughts.

"Booth, it's up to you what you do. I just thought you should know... before it was too late to tell you."

Brennan stood up and started to walk away, but Booth grabbed her and pulled her back to him. He moved closer to her, their lips almost touching. Then, before she had the chance to make the first move, Booth's lips touched hers gently. It felt right. Brennan kissed him back, with more passion, heat, lust and tenderness than any kiss they'd shared before.

Before she even knew what she was doing, Brennan had taken off Booth's tie and was starting to unbutton his shirt. Booth's arms encircled her, but the moment was over too quickly.

Booth took a step back. _What am I doing?_

As quickly as the thought had entered his mind, it was gone, and he had Brennan back in his arms, kissing her tenderly.

This time Brennan was the one who stepped back.

"Booth... We can't... Jennifer, she's your..." Booth silenced her by kissing her again, and all rational thought left her mind.

It was everything Brennan wanted. He _had_ let her fall, but he was there for her now. The only problem was, there was still someone else in the picture. _If he can cheat on his girlfriend, does that mean he would cheat on me too?_ Brennan shook the thought from her mind.

"Booth... We can't... Jennifer, she's your..."

She stepped back from the kiss. It felt so right, and she knew Booth knew it too.

"You're right" sighed Booth, disappointment and desire both filling his eyes.

They both knew that they couldn't be together, not while Booth was with someone else. But hearing Booth say _"You're right"_ brought her back to reality. He never admitted that she was right. Not on matters of the heart. She felt the tears forming.

"I have to go, Booth" said Brennan as she tried to rush away, the words struggling to come out.

This time, though, Booth didn't let her leave.

"I let you let me let you go once before, and I'm not making that same mistake again, Temperance!"

'_Temperance'_. He was serious this time.

But Brennan couldn't help herself. She had to get away.

"I'm Sorry Booth," the words stumbled out between sobs, and Brennan turned and ran as quickly as she could.

"Brennan!" cried out Booth, as he chased after her, the suit he was wearing making it more difficult to run at a fast enough pace to catch up to her.

She'd made it halfway down the length of the Reflecting Pool before Booth caught up to her.

"You can't walk out like that, after telling me what you did, Bones! I won't let you fall this time; I'm here to catch you. But I can't be there for you, Bones, not until I know what's going to happen between Jennifer and me."

Brennan's heart sank when she heard this. She'd opened up to him, and like a thousand times before, he could only comfort her in a 'partners' way.

"What are you going to do about it?" she asked. The memories of the kisses they just shared filled her head and her heart, making accepting any answer much more difficult.

"I need time, Bones. I need time."

Booth turned to walk away, but then leaned in for one last forbidden kiss with Brennan.

"Soon..." he said, and as he walked away, Brennan disappointingly sighed under her breath "Soon!"


	7. Psychology

**Chapter 7... 'Psychology'**

It had been a week since their encounter at the Lincoln Memorial. Brennan was holding up, focussing now, more than ever, on Limbo cases. Booth was always reserved around Jennifer, something which Jennifer easily picked up on, but never mentioned it.

Working at a distance from each other, Brennan and Booth managed to close their first case with ease. They mutually decided that the usual celebratory 'end-of-case drink' might be a bad idea, knowing that an excess of alcohol could lead to the events of the previous week.

One afternoon when Booth and Brennan were in Booth's office discussing their last case, Sweets walked past, and noticed something different.

"Agent Booth, Doctor Brennan. Welcome back. I hope you're both settling in well."

Brennan and Booth both turned and looked at him. He had his goofy 'psychological intuition' smile painted all over his face. They could tell that he could tell something was up.

"I was hoping we could start up our sessions again. If you both are free this afternoon, we could start then!"

"I think that that is a logical suggestion, Dr Sweets, however I still do not acknowledge psychology as a science."

Sweets just nodded, and mentally noted Booth's displeasure with Brennan's acceptance of the invitation.

"I'll see you in my office at 1 o'clock." Sweets turned and left Booth's office leaving Brennan and Booth to continue their previous conversation.

"Why'd you say yes? It's obvious he knows something, Bones!"

Brennan couldn't understand why Booth was so upset with her. _He can't know about the kiss... Can he?_

"Booth, he'll probably just sit there silently, waiting for one of us to crack, or he'll play the game where he answers our questions with questions. There's nothing to worry about."

In Sweets' office, the tension was thick. Booth and Brennan sat in their usual spots at opposite ends of the couch, and Sweets sat opposite them, focussing intently on their actions.

"You've both been back now for about two weeks" started Sweets. Booth and Brennan both knew that it was going to lead to something more.

"Do you feel that since you got back, your relationship as partners has been hanging by a thread?" pried Sweets, hoping that it would force a reaction from either of them.

Brennan looked confused and she turned to Booth. She got no response from him. Booth just ignored the question.

"I don't know what that means."

"Let me rephrase the question. Do you, Dr Brennan, feel that since you came back, things between you and Booth have been different?"

She wanted to cry out her pain to Sweets, but knew that it would not help. And she couldn't do that while Booth was in the room. It wouldn't be fair to force him to face his emotions like that. Booth never forced her to face her emotions or her feelings towards anyone, especially him. Instead she thought carefully.

"Not really. Meeting Booth's girlfriend was a strange encounter, but everything has remained the same, just the way we left it" she lied.

Sweets' eyebrows lifted in surprise at the mention of Booth's girlfriend.

"Congratulations, Agent Booth. But, do you believe that your relationship will have negative effects on your partnership with Dr Brennan?"

Sweets could sense the unease that this question made both of them feel.

Booth sat there silently, not wanting to answer the question.

"Perhaps I should speak to you individually before our next session. That might relieve some of this tension that I'm sensing between the two of you."

Booth stood up quickly. "Great, does that mean that we can go?" smiling brilliantly as Sweets nodded back at him.

* * *

Brennan was the first of the pair to be cornered by Sweets.

"I have worked with you and Booth for quite some time now, Dr Brennan. I've developed a sixth sense for changes in your partnership and..."

"There's no such thing as a 'sixth sense' Dr Sweets. There's only five – sight, sound, taste, touch and smell" she said indignantly.

"Well, either way, Dr Brennan, I sense that there's something going on between you and Booth. When you parted a year ago, he was sure of his feelings for you, but he was ready to move on. Perhaps, throughout this year apart, you learned of your true feelings for Agent Booth. But seeing him with another woman is causing you to feel jealous."

_Bingo_, she thought. He'd hit it right on the head. But strong, unemotional Dr Temperance Brennan wasn't about to admit to Sweets that he was right.

"I don't get jealous" she stated blatantly, knowing that, in this situation, it was a complete lie.

"You said in our session that you met Agent Booth's girlfriend. It does not bother you that he has someone else?"

"It was awkward because I felt like a third wheel. He's had girlfriends in the past, Dr Sweets, and it never bothered me. It was awkward because after a year apart, I was hoping when we met up it would be just us. But, Dr Sweets, I am happy for him" said Brennan, as she forced a fake smile.

Sweets signalled for Brennan to take a seat on the couch. He sat looking into her eyes for a while, making mental notes of her reactions.

"You're lying" he said suddenly.

"What? ... You're just guessing Dr Sweets. You can't tell from someone's eyes if they're lying or not!"  
"Booth can!"

It panged when Brennan realised she was defeated with that argument. _You're not Booth!_ She thought, wishing she could blurt it out to Sweets. Sweets just sat there, still looking at Brennan, thinking of what to say to get her to crack.

"Did Booth ever tell you how he really felt about you?"

_He wanted to give it a shot between us. Angela says he was, and probably still is, in love with me. She's almost always right about those things. Cam said once that Booth told her how he felt. He did ask me to imagine that I was madly in love with him, but that could be an exaggeration._

"_He_ never told me. But I knew how he felt about me when I left for Indonesia."

"Who told you, Dr Brennan?"

"Daisy, for one. She constantly reminded me about it for the first few weeks in Indonesia." Brennan's tone was arrogant, and almost mocking of Sweets. She saw Sweets' look darken, and she knew she'd hurt him. But somehow, she couldn't seem to care. "Angela has been telling me for a long time that Booth is in love with me. And Booth told Cam that he was in love with me." Brennan paused for a moment, thinking about what happened after Booth came out of his coma. "I know that you know how he feels... or felt, Dr Sweets. Except you pulled the information from brain scans and not Booth's own..."

"You believe that the heart is just a muscle, Dr Brennan, that it can't actually produce these feelings. I understand that you do not consider psychology as a reasonable field of expertise. You can find the truth of someone's life... and death, even decades or centuries after they have passed, and quite often can pull these details from a mere X-Ray. You believe that the brain is responsible for every thought and feeling. If the brain is in control of all thoughts and feelings, and brain scans can represent which parts of the brain are thinking or feeling what, then what, what could possibly make you question them, given your puritanical scientific beliefs?"

Brennan started to get furious. She started to shout. "Because it's psychology! It has nothing to do with actual science. It's an interpretation!"

Sweets knew he'd overstepped a boundary and hit a nerve. He paused for a while, waiting for Brennan to calm down, before introducing a new topic.

"I noticed you threw in a 'felt'." Sweets leaned forward in his chair. "You don't believe that Agent Booth is still in love with you?"

She thought back to that night by the Lincoln Memorial. _He never said he loved me, and he never expressed his feelings. But the passion... the tenderness. There had to be something there. He wouldn't let me walk away, yet _he_ was allowed to. I should've stopped him. I should've fought. But he's with her! He mo..._

At that moment, Sweets cut in. "Dr Brennan?" She'd obviously gotten lost with her thoughts.

"I don't..." She hesitated, the anger brewing inside her. She looked up at Sweets, staring him straight in the eye, and in her most serious tone, and quite loudly too, she blurted out "He doesn't love me anymore!"

The words cut through her heart as they burst from her, uncontrolled. The pain that she felt was evident in her speech. But not for one second, in her heart of hearts, did she believe that it was true. _He moved on._

Her head was down, like she'd done something wrong. Sweets ducked his head to try and make eye contact. Sweets realised that she'd relinquished control, of both her emotions and the conversation at hand. She had no leverage against Sweets, and he knew how vulnerable she had just become.

"Dr Brennan, as much as I hate to admit that I'm wrong, I have to in this situation." He paused, hesitating, the sweat starting to form on his brow. He _had_ to tell her. She'd opened up to him; he could only return the favour.

Brennan looked up at him, utterly confused at what he was getting at. Sweets was, considering psychology was just guessing, usually never wrong about what he said.

"I told Agent Booth that those feelings he had for you when he first came out of that coma would fade away. But I was wrong. They stuck with him for many months. It was evident in all his actions, not just those that involved you. He just never had the courage to even think about the possibility of breaking up your partnership. He knew that it was better to suppress his feelings for you, than to risk losing you from his life forever. Dr Brennan... feelings like those don't just fade away."

For once, something that Sweets had said to her was reassuring. She smiled, even though it was only a fraction of a smile that Booth could make her show if he'd said the same thing.


	8. Chances

**Chapter 8... 'Chances'**

Brennan felt much better now. After what Sweets had said to her in his office, she was able to be around Booth without feeling awkward or jealous. It was only when Jennifer appeared that those hateful feelings emerged.

They were working on their second case back, now. A body had been found in a vintage car which had been dumped a few hundred yards off of a main highway.

"Ooh, what a waste!" cringed Booth as he looked at the classic Kingswood sitting in front of him.

Brennan just chuckled a bit. She never understood what Booth saw in old cars.

"It's just a car, Booth" she said, knowing she'd get a response out of him.

"Just a car, Bones? Just a car? This car is a classic. Bench seats, V6 engine, classic stick shift. Bones, this is the type of car that dreams are made of..."

Brennan thought about her own dreams. They never involved a classic car, especially not recently. Then the thought crossed her mind. _Booth + Brennan + Classic Car = Extremely satisfied Brennan_

"Bones!" said Booth. She'd gotten lost in her daydream.

"That's good math" she mumbled under her breath.

"Did you say something, Bones?" Booth stood over her shoulder, cue cards and pen at the ready.

"Male, late teens or early twenties. I can't see any indication of clothing, meaning..."

Booth cut her off. "Meaning he was probably doing what I'd love to have done in a classic car at that age!"

Brennan smiled at his immaturity. "Booth!" she said, in a slightly girlish tone.

"Let's get these remains back to the Jeffersonian for the squint squad to analyse. Isn't that right Bones...? Bones?"

She was lost in another daydream of her and Booth in a vintage car.

The ride home was blissfully silent, at least for Brennan. She looked over at Booth, and wondered what he was thinking.

"Booth." Brennan finally spoke.

"Yeah, Bones?" replied Booth, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Have you... thought about... you know?"

Booth sat quietly. He glanced at her, but only for a fraction of a second. He knew what to say. He just never knew the right time to bring it up. _If I tell her now, she can't storm off. Well, she can try, but she'd fall out of a car going 60, onto a rough road._ Booth smiled at this thought of Brennan being so mad that she'd actually do something that stupid. He thought it was, or would be, cute. _I can't tell her now. That'd be cornering her. I'll wait till we're back at her office._

"Not yet..." he lied, wanting to tell her the truth.

Brennan stood on the forensic platform, Angela at her side.

"Get Hodgins to take some samples from the remaining flesh, and ask Cam how long she'll be with the body."

"I'm almost done with the facial reconstruction sweetie. We can get lunch afterwards, if you like. _I'll_ just give the sketch to Booth to run through." She emphasised that Brennan needn't see Booth unnecessarily.

"No, Angela, that won't be necessary. I can give him the sketch myself. I'm quite capable."

Angela was a bit shocked. She leaned in close to Brennan. "Are you sure, Sweetie?"

Booth was standing in the doorway to Brennan's office, watching Angela and Brennan discuss the case. As soon as he saw Brennan turn to leave the platform, he raced over.

"Bones, I need to talk to you." _It's now or never, Booth. You can do this._

Brennan turned to Angela, and nodded, indicating that she'd be fine. She led Booth into her office and shut the door.

"What is it Booth?"

He sat her down on the couches.

"I lied to you yesterday, Bones, when I said I hadn't thought about the... uh... situation. I didn't think it was fair to tell you if we were in the car. You'd have no way of running away, if that's what you want to do of course, and you'd have no one to talk to. I felt as though if I had, I would've been cornering you."

Brennan just nodded, acknowledging that this was an acceptable reason to lie to her. She was preparing herself for what was coming next, knowing that this time she couldn't break down in front of him if it was bad news. That would just guilt him into staying with her.

"Go on, Booth. I'm fine."

"I said to you last year that I needed to move on. I still love you, Bones. I always will. And I now know that you do feel the same..." He paused, knowing he was about to drop the bomb on her, and Booth had no idea of how she would react to it. He could see in her eyes that she wanted him, she wanted to _be_ with him, in every sense of the word. "... But I need to give this a shot, being with someone else. I don't expect you to wait for me, if things go bad between me and Jennifer, if that's what you think I'm getting at." She was looking down, not looking at him. He took hold of her hand, and she looked him in the eyes. "I know you don't believe in fate, Bones. But I do. And if we are meant to be together, I believe that we will be. And I don't mean in a partnership, colleagues way, Bones. I mean in a deep and meaningful relationship." He could see the tears starting to form in her eyes.

"If it's going to be too hard for you to work with me, I will understand. But Tempe..." he lifted her chin up with his fingers. "I have to do this..."

She didn't need to hear him make excuses. It was pointless. After what s_he'd_ put him through, the last thing Brennan needed from Booth was an explanation of why he had to do what he had to do.

"It's okay Booth, I understand" she whispered in his ear. No tears flowed from her eyes this time.

"Thank you, Bones." Booth pulled Brennan in for a not-so 'guy hug'.


	9. Letters

**Chapter 9... 'Letters'**

It hadn't been easy for him to do this, any of it. It wasn't really what he wanted. What he wanted was to be with Bones. But he had to be fair to Jennifer. She'd done nothing wrong in any of this. He knew that Brennan really did understand why he had to give Jennifer and him a shot. He also knew that it was because of _him_ that she could be so understanding of it all. He had wanted to give it a go with him and Brennan, and she'd turned him down. But the fact was that he wanted to, and was willing to give it a shot.

This fact comforted Brennan. Booth treated Jennifer with the same respect he treated her. It was only fair. Brennan wasn't part of that equation, at least not anymore. She had nothing to do with Booth and Jennifer's relationship, except, perhaps, to act on an advisory capacity, if either of them needed it.

"How are you holding up, Sweetie?" asked Angela as she opened another bottle of wine. It was Friday night. Booth was out on a date with Jennifer, and Brennan and Angela were sharing a very 'girly' evening, filled with chocolate, wine, and lots of gossip. "Don't hold back on me!"

Brennan thought of receding to her old, 'cold-fish' like self.

"I am actually doing quite well, Angela" she replied, with a bit of a laugh in her voice, as though the question didn't really need to be asked or answered. Really, it was too much wine, but it _was_ the truth.

"I'm glad to hear it, Bren. You've been back a month now, and all you've done is spend your time engrossing yourself in your work, or here in your apartment, moping."

Brennan just smiled. She hadn't had a night like this for years. Her smile faded as she thought of how she spent most nights with Booth.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" Angela was quick to sense that the mood had dimmed. She could see the little smile curl on Brennan's lips, and then fade away as a different thought entered her mind.

Brennan nodded sadly, and Angela put her arm around her, trying to comfort her.

"Sweetie, it's alright."

Brennan fought back the tears. _No, you won't cry. He's not gone forever. He's still in your life. Be grateful for that._

"I think I'd just like to be alone for a while now, Angela. Is that alright?"

Angela nodded. "But you call me, anytime you want. I'm always ready to talk or listen, Bren. Just know that." Angela grabbed her purse, kissed Brennan on the cheek and left.

* * *

Booth's date was going well. He and Jennifer had finished dinner, and were just at the bar have a drink. They were laughing and having a good time.

"Is everything alright, Seeley?" asked Jennifer, as she placed her hand on his arm.

Booth put on a brave face. "Everything's fine. I just..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"What?" asked Jennifer, her smile slowly fading.

"Nothing" replied Booth, leaning in for a kiss. He started to think '_It's not Brennan_' but quickly shook the thought from his mind. _If I'm going to give this a shot, I can't be thinking about her._

"Nothing" smiled Booth.

Brennan sat in her apartment at the dining table, bottle of wine almost empty beside her glass. She took a sip and started to go through the things in the box that was in front of her. She pulled out photos, newspaper clippings and other various things that meant something to her. When she thought everything was out of the box, she tipped it upside down. Something small fell out. It was one of the totems that Booth had been given by the coven of witches, shortly before they left America. She thought of the childish way in which he'd played with it, before making the wish. "It's little Bones" she mimicked, playing with the totem. She smiled to herself closed her eyes and thought of that night. _'I wish that you could find happiness... love, laughter, friendship, purpose and a dance.'_

Brennan had had all of those, and now she had none of them. A single tear trickled down her cheek, and she desperately wished that Booth would show up and wipe it away. But he didn't.

* * *

Brennan was able to accept that she and Booth wouldn't be together. Instead of expressing her feelings to Booth or Angela, Brennan began to write letters. They helped her through the tough times.

One day, Brennan was at the lab, in her office, finishing some paperwork on the latest case from Limbo. She heard Booth's familiar laugh as he walked into the lab. Getting up to greet him, Brennan saw Jennifer following Booth as he dragged her through the lab by her hand. Brennan's expression didn't change. She just went back to her desk and took out a new sheet of letter paper.

"Hi Bones!" exclaimed Booth as he walked past her office.

"Hi" she replied, half-heartedly. She didn't try hiding the letter when Booth came into her office, as she hadn't written anything yet.

Jennifer waited outside.

"Is everything alright, Bones?" His voice was soothing to her. He cared about her, but not in the way she wanted him to.

She wanted to tell him that nothing was alright, but she knew that wasn't fair to Booth.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's alright, Booth. Enjoy lunch with Jennifer."

Booth hesitantly left. He knew that it wasn't alright, but there was nothing he could do now. Booth flashed a heart warming smile at Brennan before leaving.

Brennan's phone buzzed on her desk. It was a message... from Booth.

_Bones, that wasn't fair of me. I won't bring Jennifer to the lab anymore. I'm sorry._

Brennan smiled. She still wanted to write that letter, but didn't know how to start, or what to put in it.

_Booth..._

_It is irrational for me to feel jealous of you and Jennifer. However, it seems that whenever I am near the two of you, I am incapable of compartmentalising this emotion. _

_As pure as your intentions may be, I feel (yes, I feel) that our partnership will never be what it was. I can still work with you, Booth, but it causes my heart to drown when I see you two together. Angela tells me that this feeling is normal and that it is also 'sink' not 'drown'. I cannot change what I am feeling, but you should know that I will never be okay with you and someone else. I have forgiven you for not showing at the Reflecting Pool, like we had originally planned. But I cannot, and will not forgive you for the heartache that you have caused by bringing someone else into your life to replace me._

_Yours always,_

_Bones_

The words had stopped flowing. Brennan couldn't think of a way to describe how she was feeling without sounding overly emotional. Her heart pounded at the thought that Booth would never know how she felt about him and Jennifer. _'Thank you, Bones'_ he'd said. But Brennan wondered what that really meant. Was he thanking her for being so understanding, or for letting him have a chance at another relationship? Maybe he was thanking her for trying to make it easier for him to let go of her.

Brennan cast these thoughts out of her mind, and tucked away the letter, preparing to delve into another Limbo case. She stood up, squared her shoulders and marched down into the Bone Storage.


	10. Together

**Chapter 10... 'Together'**

Booth had been putting it off for so long, now. He'd been with Jennifer for almost four months, but by far, this last month had been the toughest for him. Hurting Brennan like he did, toying with her emotions, the kisses they shared, the lies, the passion. He had to try and make it work with Jennifer, but was hesitant to take the physical step with her, in fear of Brennan never wanting him. He knew how she felt now, and that would've made a difference a year ago when they both went their separate ways. But he promised Brennan that he was going to give Jennifer the chance that she deserved.

They'd been to dinner at a quaint little restaurant on the east side of town and were now making their way back to Jennifer's hotel room.

Jennifer had insisted that she stay in a hotel in DC instead of at Booth's apartment. _Let's not rush things..._ she'd insisted. Booth could understand. He'd never had a woman live in his apartment before, and seeing as how the bulk of their relationship had been in Afghanistan; if things didn't work out in DC it would be much easier on the both of them – no difficult reminders of blissful memories, and no elongated 'move-out' period.

Booth was pleased with how things were going between him and Jennifer. They hardly saw each other during the day - out of Booth's fear of seeing Brennan's heart being crushed. His date that night with Jennifer was going smoothly, and Booth wanted to see how things were going to turn out once they got to Jennifer's hotel room.

There was only one more block left. Booth was starting to get nervous, but kept his game face on. _You've gotta give this a chance. Think happy thoughts. You can't let your past ruin your future._

Jennifer dragged him by the hand, rushing towards her hotel. They passed the check-in desk, and Jennifer dragged Booth into the elevator. Booth could see that Jennifer was anxious to get upstairs, as though she knew there was a surprise waiting for her. She kept bobbing up and down every few seconds. Booth chuckled.

"What?"

"Nothing" replied Booth, admiring her girlish behaviour. "You just look so cute bobbing like that."

Jennifer gripped his hand as the elevator reached her floor, and led him down the hallway to where her room was.

_It's now or never, Booth._

Booth pinned her to the door, kissing her feverishly. She responded and ran her hands through his hair. She let out a moan as Booth nuzzled into her neck, kissing it, and gently sucking. His left hand still leaned against the door, trapping her beside the door jamb. His right hand slowly made its way down her cheek, then neck, gently brushing past her breasts (to which she let out a moan), then slid down her hip and stopped at the hem of her dress. He kissed her on the lips as her hands made their way to Booth's chest. She started to unbutton his top, and getting lost in the moment she scraped his chest with her nails, going from his shoulders all the way to the top of his pants. He let out a gentle moan. "Jenny!" he gasped.

He took his left hand off the door and tangled it in her hair, and almost without thinking, he started to lift his right hand, dragging her dress up with it.

"Seeley" she moaned. But it wasn't the moan he was expecting. It was filled with hesitation and reserve. Booth dropped her dress and placed his right hand on her hip. He tried to nuzzle her neck again, but she pulled away.

"Seeley, I can't."

Booth stood there shocked. She'd dragged him from the restaurant to the hotel and into the elevator, desperation practically screaming at him.

"Why?" he asked, his heart almost broken and his ego definitely shattered. He looked her deep in the eyes, trying to read what she was thinking. She looked away from him, trying to squirm away from him.

"There's someone else, Seeley."

He now knew how Brennan had felt that day he tried to introduce her to Jennifer. It panged, deep in his heart, even though he didn't actually love Jennifer. Booth took a few steps back, releasing Jennifer from his hold.

"You were never there for me... physically," she began. Booth knew she was trying to make it his fault. "A few nights after we got back to DC, I hooked up with him. I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did... again and again."

The colour drained from Booth's face. He had felt desperately guilty about the kisses he'd shared with Brennan, yet she felt almost no remorse for what she'd done... again and again.

"I'm leaving tomorrow for New York, Seeley. I'm sorry." Jennifer turned, opened the door to her hotel room and slammed the door in Booth's face. He stepped backwards until he hit the wall, and slid down, resting one arm on a propped up knee, that hand rubbing his forehead. He was defeated.

* * *

Brennan was enjoying a quiet night at home with a good book and a glass of red wine. Actually, it had been three shots of tequila, five shots of vodka and a glass of wine. She'd been trying to numb any pain she was feeling using the weekend and the lack of alcohol over the past year as a reasonable excuse to indulge.

It was almost 11 at night. Brennan was on the couch, curled up under a blanket, fast asleep. She was having a wonderful dream, one that didn't fill her with heartache. _He came running to her. All of her emotions washed over her, and the tears started to fall, soaking her bright red cheeks. 'Was this a dream' she thought to herself as he embraced her, kissing her passionately as he spun her around. The tears streamed down his face. 'I love you Temperance.' The words rolled off her tongue, 'I love you too, Booth!' They held each others' faces in their hands, kissing and laughing in between sobs. It had taken them more than six years to realise they belonged together._

There was a knock at her door, and Brennan sat bolt upright. It was now well past 11. _Who would be knocking on my door at this hour?_ She thought as she wrapped the silk dressing gown around her, fastening the tie around her waist.

As Brennan made her way around the couch, the person knocked again, this time more weakly. Half asleep, Brennan didn't even bother to check and see who it was. She swung the door open.

"Booth?"

As though he'd just invaded her dreams, Booth was standing there in front of her. His head was hung, and as he lifted it, Brennan could see the tears welling up in his eyes. He was in pain.

"Bones!" It was barely a whisper, but the pain screamed at Brennan.

Booth took a step forward, and collapsed into a hug with Brennan. She hugged him back, not understanding what was going on.

"Shh, it's alright" she soothed, rubbing his back as she nestled her head into his chest. Booth rested his head on Brennan's shoulder, and feeling the comfort of her warmth, he let the tears flow, knowing that she was there for him.

After a while, Booth pulled away. Brennan looked into his deep, brown eyes, searching for the source of his pain, which in turn caused her heart to ache.

"I'm sorry" he said, and he reached for Brennan, pulling her in for a long, passionate kiss. Brennan reciprocated the kiss, taking comfort in his tenderness.

"I don't... I don't understand, Booth." Brennan was surprised by what was happening, though she didn't mind the attention from Booth.

Booth pulled her in for another kiss, trying to build up the courage to finally tell Brennan how he really felt.

"I love you, Booth!" explained Brennan when they pulled apart, a tear trickling down her cheek. Booth gently rubbed it away with his thumb.

"I love you too, Temperance." He had waited so long to say those words, and now, with the love of his life in his arms, kissing him, Booth couldn't understand why it had been so hard to say them.

"I love you" he repeated in a whisper as Brennan started towards the couch, kissing him tenderly.


	11. Sleep

**Chapter 11... 'Sleep'**

They fell onto the couch, still kissing. It wasn't a lustful kiss, though it was still filled with passion and love. Brennan sighed as she took a moment to catch her breath.

"I still don't understand, Booth." Exclaimed Brennan as she pulled herself closer to Booth. She listened to his heartbeat as it slowed underneath her touch.

"Shh..." he hushed, and kissed her on the head. "It's alright." His hands ran through Brennan's hair and down her neck. He trailed his hands with kisses.

"What about Jennifer?" Brennan was confused. Only days ago he had told her he was giving _them_ a chance, and now here he is, in her apartment, in her arms, stroking her hair, kissing her neck... Her thoughts trailed off as his touch relaxed her. She let out another deep sigh. "What happened?"

Booth lifted her chin up with his fingers, and planted a gentle, caring kiss on her lips, and he felt her melt into him. "Don't think of such terrible things. That's behind us now." He kissed her on her head, her sweet smell intoxicating. Brennan let out a frustrated sigh, and Booth snapped out of it. "Alright, Bones." She'd given him a playful nudge in the ribs. "I was out to tea with Jennifer. We were on our way back to her hotel room... Don't get mad at me, Bones. You wanted to hear this," he said, as a frown crossed Brennan's face and she crossed her arms. Booth wrapped her in his arms, comforting her. "We got there, and we were about to go in. She turns to me, stops kissing me and tells me that she can't do it." He sighed, obviously still hurt by what happened.

This time Brennan kissed Booth, and ran her hands through his hair. "Go on..." she whispered in his ear.

A smile lit up his face. "It's quite silly, really" he laughed. "Here I was, all this time, worried if I should tell her about that night on the mall. I felt so guilty that I kept it from her. She comes right out and tells me she's been sleeping with someone else, because I _'wasn't there for her, physically'_" he said sarcastically. "She's been seeing him, or more accurately, sleeping with him, since a few nights after we got back into DC. She told me casually, as though we had shared nothing. She didn't even feel guilty. She tried to make me feel as though it were all my fault. I guess it was..."

"Shh," interrupted Brennan. She kissed him, gently brushing his face with the back of her hand. "It's alright. I'm yours now. No one will take me away. No one..." she soothed.

No tears fell from either of their eyes as they lay together on Brennan's couch, tenderly kissing, unable to keep their eyes off of each other, for fear that one of them will leave. Eventually, they fell asleep in each other's arms, Booth cuddling Brennan tightly, keeping her close to his heart.

"Booth" whispered Brennan, as she realised where they were. _Was last night a dream_ she wondered, as she waited for Booth to respond.

Booth finally stirred. He'd been wondering the same thing. "Bones?" he asked as he kissed the top of her forehead.

She thought for a second. "It's really late, Booth." Brennan got up and walked over to the linen cupboard, and pulled out a couple of blankets and pillows. "Don't drive home" she started. "It's late, it's not safe, and I need you here." She smiled innocently at the last comment.

Booth smiled back at her. He pulled her back onto the couch. "Goodnight" he said, kissing her forehead. She got up to walk away, but found herself anchored to the couch.

"Booth" she giggled. "I'll see you in the morning. I'm not going anywhere..."

"That's right, Bones, you're not. You're going to sleep here with me, on this couch."

Brennan giggled and protested. His warmth radiated, as he longed to keep her in his arms. "Booth, I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning" she said, as she kissed him before trailing off to her bedroom.

Minutes passed, maybe half an hour, before Booth heard Brennan's door open. She came out into the lounge, and he pretended to be asleep.

"Booth" she whispered as she approached the couch.

He could see her, wearing a satin dressing gown over her chemise. A smile spread as she knelt down beside him. "Hmm" was his reply.

"Booth, I'm cold." She sounded so innocent, but dared not to climb on the couch for fear of never getting up. "Come back to bed with me, Booth." Her eyes were reassuring, and she slowly led Booth back to her room.

He waited for her to climb into bed, so he could decide where to sleep. Brennan patted the bed beside her, and Booth slowly climbed in, dressed in his boxers and t-shirt. He lay on his back, waiting for Brennan to make the first move. She slowly crept her body backwards into his, and he obliged, rolling onto his side and placing his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"I love you" he whispered, as she fell asleep in his arms.

**A/N: I wrote this story a while back, and it's 50000 words. So there will be at least 3 parts in total. I had to separate it because it lost the plot a bit. And don't worry... there'll be plenty of angst in the next part too.**


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